The Right Church, Which One?

The divisions of Christendom are the Scandal of Christianity and disgracing, disgusting, embarrassing mockery of the Highest God. Americablows its boasting trumpet of having more than 300 religious sects and denominations. However, there is only ONE CHURCH that the Lord of Heaven built and is coming back for. If this sounds strange to you, if it sounds like a religious madman talking; I invite your attention to the Most High God concerning the matter. “Thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Observe that the Lord used singular terms, church and it; and they signify one. Jesus promised to build ONE CHURCH, and if He built more than one, He did not keep his promise. Since the lord has only one church, the matter at hand is not to find something LIKE THE CHURCH of the Lord or one RESEMBLING IT, but we want to find the one built by Jesus, Himself. Therefore, let us explore the following distinctive marks that positively identify the church of the Bible. WHERE THERE IS ONE OF ANYTHING, ONE HAS NO CHOICE.

TIME AND PLACE

The prophets of old predicted when the church would start. Isaiah 2:2 tells us that the church would start in the last days. Zechariah 1:16 tells us that the church would start in the city of Jerusalem. Luke tells us that the church was started in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1-5) These are unavoidable conclusions that face us; any church that did not start in Jerusalem is not the Lord’s church. Rome, Germany, Baltimore, Providence, R.I., etc., are not the places of origination of the Lord’s church. THE LORD’S CHURCH DID NOT ORIGINATE IN TWO PLACES BUT ONE PLACE. Mark 9:1 tells us that the church would start in the lifetime of the apostles. This was before the birth of Joseph Smith, John Wesley, John Calvin, Roger Williams, and Ezekiel Holliman. This simply means that none of them could possibly have been the founder of the New Testament church.

CHRIST IS THE FOUNDER OF THE TRUE CHURCH

Christ founded it and built it. (Matthew 16:18) He is the originator of it and its history begins and ends with Him. Trace the history of the Lutheran Church an it is explicitly clear that it goes back to Martin Luther. Buddhism originated with Buddha, and Confucianism dates back to Confucius. The church of Christ goes back to Christ.Psalm 127:1 informs us, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Paul emphatically states in I Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

COMMUNED EVERY FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

The early church continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread. (Acts 2:42) Luke writes in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the apostles came together to break bread…” When some people read this passage, the automatic question is, “Do you have to take it every Sunday?” It is strange how some preachers can understand the meaning of the first day of the week in I Corinthians 16:1,2 when it speaks of collection, but cannot understand the first day in Acts 20:7. HOW OFTEN DOES THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK COME? You know that it comes EVERY WEEK, and that is how often God wants us to commune. Once months, quarterly, semi-annually and annually do not meet God’s standard.

ABSENCE OF DENOMINATIONAL TITLES

There was a conspicuous absence of all titles that have been given to denominational preachers, such as “father, reverend, pastor.” There were no “Reverend Paul or Peter” and no “Father James or John.” Psalm 111:9 informs us that “reverend” Is God’s name, not man’s. The Lamb of God stated, “And call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” These distinctive marks can be found only in the church of Christ, the church that was built by the Son of God. If I were you, I would become a member of that blood-bought, Spirit-filled, hell-proof and heaven-bound church. Listen to Jesus in Matthew 15:13, “Every plant which my heavenly Father bath not planted, shall be rooted up.”